The invention relates to electric motors in hydraulic tilt/trim assemblies in marine propulsion devices. More particularly, the invention relates to connectors for connecting an electric motor of a hydraulic tilt/trim assembly to an electric power source.
A known marine propulsion device comprises a hydraulic tilt/trim assembly having a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor. The hydraulic assembly includes a cable which has a conductor that is fixed, with solder for example, to the electric motor of the hydraulic assembly, and which connects the motor to a power source spaced from the electric motor. In order to remove the hydraulic assembly from the rest of the marine propulsion device, for servicing for example, it is necessary to disconnect the cable from the power source, and to remove the cable from wherever it is routed between the power source and the electric motor (usually through stern brackets and motor covers), before the rest of the hydraulic assembly can be removed from the marine propulsion device. This disconnection and removal of the cable is necessary because the cable is fixed to the electric motor and removable at the power source. This disconnection and removal of the cable disadvantageously slows removal of the hydraulic assembly.
Attention is directed toward Colbrese, U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,492, issued on Jun. 5, 1979; Robinson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,801, issued on Oct. 16, 1984; Cobb, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,728, issued on Jul. 26, 1988; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/523,329 assigned to the assignee of the present invention.